1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to folding bedsteads and bed assemblies and, more particularly, to adjustable counterbalance assemblies for panel beds.
2. Related Art
Folding bedsteads or bed frame assemblies have earned a reputation as being cumbersome, complex and generally unreliable. A typical panel bed assembly includes a cabinet connected to or built into a wall and may include a plurality of drawers, shelves or the like. The panel bed conventionally includes a bed frame connected within the cabinet and movable between a horizontal and a vertical position.
The bed frame typically includes a plurality of legs extending therefrom to vertically support the bed on the floor in the open position and handles to open the bed. A counterbalance mechanism connected between a head rail of the bed frame and the cabinet balances the weight of the bed frame so that the bed frame is easier to raise into a closed position and so that the effect of the force of gravity encountered in opening the bed frame is reduced.
Counterbalance mechanisms commonly used in the art include springs, gas struts, or torsion rods. When a bed is being moved between its open and closed positions, it should not be necessary for the operator to exert any substantial force to initiate movement. Therefore, the counterbalancing forces should be easily overcome by the person initiating the movement of the panel from its open position to its closed position or vice versa. Moreover, the weight of the bed can vary depending on the particular front panel and mattress that is installed upon the bed frame. Friction is also an important factor in that it can add to the force that the counterbalancing mechanism must exert during the lifting and opening of the bed.
The connection of the bed frame to the shell or cabinet is typically unreliable and complex. In particular, the length of the counterbalancing mechanism must be correct in order to provide control of the flow of the bed frame from a vertical, or closed, to a horizontal, or open, position. The mounting point of the counterbalancing mechanism on both the cabinet and the bed frame must often be adjusted upon installation to accommodate the various sizes and weights of beds, mattresses and front panels so that an appropriate flow of the bed from its open to closed or closed to open position can be achieved. Also, as the counterbalancing mechanism is used over time, it will lose some of its power, and thus further requiring adjustment or replacement. Replacing the counterbalancing mechanism, however, is an expensive way to combat this problem.